Main trends of research in the social and human ... - unesdoc - Unesco

400 Jean Bourgeois-Pichat
This is a method of dealing with these problems which is also used in France.
In Mexico, the Centro de Estudios Econdmicos y Demogrkficos was established
in 1964 by the Colegio de Mbico, and since 1967 it has been publishing a
periodical, Demografia y Economia. This juxtaposition of the words ‘Demo-
grafia’ and ‘Economfa’ is in itself significant. It shows that there is a real desire
to see economists and demographers working together. In the first numbers,
interest has been focused on the geographical distribution of the population in
relation to economic and regional development.
Projections of the active population have been prepared, taking account of
internal migrations. In these studies the macroscopic approach has been adopt-
ed, and they should rather be classified among the first series mentioned above.
But they are the precursors of other researches that are, moreover, already
under way and are following the tradition of the British, American and French
studies to which reference has just been made. The Centre intends ‘to examine
the relations between the economic trend and education’. A pilot project has
already been carried out on the relations between higher education, science and
technology, on the one hand, and economic development in Mexico, on the
other.
Mention should also be made of the work done by OECD (Organization for
Economic Co-operation and Development). This organization has tackled the
same problems, adopting a different approach. A calculation has been made of
the correlations existing between the employment :structure and a host of
indicators of economic production. It is hoped in this way to go on from a plan
for the development of production to a projection of employment. The work is
proceeding.
OECD has published a methodological work on Argentina, in which it is shown
how far it is possible to go by using the traditional methods, that is to say,
without making use of the employment matrix.
145. With regard to the active population representing the satisfaction’Tof
desires that are universally regarded as legitimate, it has never been calculated,
for the same reason for which exchanges between branches are seldom expressed
in terms of men. Yet the results would, without any doubt, be highly instructive.
We should find that, to satisfy the needs of a population of 50 million,
70 million persons would, for instance, be necessary.37 This would bring out
clearly the absurdity of endeavouring to satisfy all the needs immediately. It
would at the same time make it possible to estimate the tensions produced by
discrepancies of this type, which explain how it is that the dissatisfaction’:of the
younger generation finds a favourable echo among the rest of the population.
It is doubtful whether such questions can be solved without adopting the
principle of shock-teams mentioned earlier in connexion with the Milbank
Memorial Fund projects for mortality studies.
146. So far, we have been concerned with producers. In the case of consumers,
the problem is easier, since the various categories of consumers are mostly
determined with the aid of demographic parameters such as age, civil status,